But what if we make eye contact with a panhandler standing on the corner and smile a genuine smile? What if we authentically ask a cashier how his or her day is going? What if we acknowledge a fellow shopper at a store by making a cheerful comment? 

For example, sometimes I’ll notice someone staring at products on a shelf and mention, “There are too many choices, huh?” I’ll tell a mom I remember when my kids were that age. I’ll tell a teenager that their shoes are really cute and that I would probably break an ankle if I wore a heel that high. I’ve even told a customer service representative that his eyes are absolutely beautiful. I tell veterans, police officers, and first responders how much I appreciate them.

Genuine interest in and compassion for others speaks volumes. And while we may not be overtly “telling our testimony,” the fact that we interact with deep-rooted joy from within also tells our testimony. We may never know the impact our interactions have. But time and effort spent validating someone is always worth it. As mentioned in Matthew 5, you are the light of the world; let your light shine before others. So be a light for someone today in a world that is dark and empty. You are needed.

What about decisions concerning your life? Do you think about your life’s purpose, beyond being a wife, a mother, an employee? Are you living abundantly, as the Bible talks about, or just sleepwalking through it? 

God created every person for a special purpose. Philippians 2:13 says,  “for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfil his good purpose.” 

God gives gifts and talents, passions and strengths. If life is lived outside of that special “sweet spot,” there is a great void. If you are a Christ-follower, He has so much more in life for you, not as a consumer, but as a contributor. God is to be your life. Living in your God-given purpose means seeking Him first. It’s not living for the world, but living in the Word.

“Gracious Lord, I long to live life for more than the routine of every day. I want what I do to have eternal value. Show me how to use my gifts and talents, strengths and passions for my gladness and your glory. Show me your special purpose for my life. In Jesus’ Name, Amen”                        

Jesus doesn’t say to make believers or to make followers; He says to make disciples. What’s the difference? Or is there any?

One can believe and yet not follow. James is writing to early Jewish Christians in James 2:19  and states, “You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.” So just make believers isn’t what Jesus commissions us to do.

What if I make followers? Jesus tells us to follow Him, so surely it’s enough to make followers, isn’t it? Following is an act I choose, but it doesn’t reach outward. Jesus wants me to follow, but following can’t be just about me. Why? Because Jesus includes an “and.” Matthew 4:19 and Mark 1:17 both state, “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “AND I will send you out to fish for people.”

So once I’m a follower, I fish for people to become followers, and as they become followers they fish for people to become followers…but how does that happen? By discipling them. What does discipling mean? To teach, to train, to mentor, to guide someone. Inherent in discipling is proximity and familiarity. So once one believes, is baptized and follows, one must still be taught to obey everything Jesus commanded. That’s not an event, that is a journey. It’s ongoing. We never stop learning. Then through community we live out Proverbs 27:17, “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” Together, one by one, we carry out the Great Commission by being a disciple who makes disciples.

We get passionate about things that are not really that important; like the latest and greatest stuff on the horizon. When asked, we say our faith is everything. We are blessed, and so grateful for Christ’s forgiveness of sin.     

Yet we panic, and maybe avoid, sharing the story that our Lord has written for our lives. 

“But if I say, ‘I will not mention him or speak anymore in his name.’ his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed I cannot.”  —Jeremiah 20:9

Oh, to share our own story like that with such passion and fire! And with the natural fervor that God deserves. 

Our enemy would want us to believe that we must be a scholar, or an orator, to share our faith. However, he must flee at the sound of God’s Word. 

“It is good to praise the Lord and make music to your name, O Most High, to proclaim your love in the morning and your faithfulness at night.” —Psalm 92:2

“Lord, give me a fire in my heart to proclaim your love. Forgive my fear, and remove it far from me. Replace it with the peace of obedience in doing your Will. Weary me of keeping my story to myself. Open my mouth to share your faithfulness with those who need to hear. I believe that You equip the called. In the Glorious Name of Jesus, Amen.”

For example, do I have to go to church today? Do I have to participate in the ladies’ tea where each of us being assigned as someone’s “secret sister” is finally revealed? Do I really have to finish that Bible study assignment or read the daily passage today?

How grateful I am that God has grown me to a place of gratitude! I no longer see tasks in the framework of reluctant obligation. Rather, I recognize that serving God is a privilege. Acts 17:25 tells me God is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. That means God allows me to serve Him. Jesus paid the penalty for my sin, so I am free to serve Him out of joy instead of out of obligation.

“Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Romans 7:25) If that is my ongoing perspective, my gratitude will be evident in my actions. Instead of asking “do I have to?”, today my mindset is “do I get to?”

In Mark 5:18, Jesus was getting into the boat, and the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him. Of course, he did. Wouldn’t you? But then you wonder why Jesus tells him in verse 19, “Go home to your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” It is obvious now, but at the time, the man had no idea what sharing his story would do for so many.

If you keep reading, you will come to the story of the feeding of the 4,000 in chapter 8. Because Jesus went to the Decapolis, which is basically the “Vegas” of our time, He healed and showed mercy on a man who, in turn, shared his story, and a crowd of 4,000 Gentiles gathered to hear Jesus when He came back.

The moral of the story is, are you sharing your story? The story of how God saved you, healed you, showed mercy on you, and forgave you?

Come to our “Sharing Your Faith In Today’s Culture” One-Day Encounter on April 11, and learn how to share your story. Who knows, you may be responsible for many lives saved by God’s grace all because you shared your story. Register now.

Lord, let us all be bold servants for You. There are people eager and hungry to hear the good news about Jesus. Thank you, Lord, that the Holy Spirit doesn’t depend on our words alone but on our willingness to share how you have healed and renewed us. May we all be salt and light to those who are seeking. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Responsibilities were being handled. Work was moving forward. Faith was still present. But underneath it all, there was a quiet sense of disorder—like something inside had grown tangled. I wasn’t in crisis. I was just tired of trying to hold everything together.

That’s when I began to see something in the Gospels I had overlooked before.

Jesus never rushed people into transformation. He didn’t stand at a distance offering advice. He stepped into storms. He entered grief. He touched what others avoided. And wherever He went, what felt chaotic began to steady.

He didn’t fix everything at once.
He restored one thing at a time.

I realized the way forward wasn’t going to be found in doing more, organizing better, or trying harder to “get it right.” It wasn’t about managing the chaos. It was about letting Him meet me in it.

Following Jesus isn’t always dramatic. Sometimes it looks like loosening your grip on control. Sometimes it’s choosing forgiveness when resentment feels safer. Sometimes it’s simply trusting that being faithful in ordinary places matters.

The way forward is quieter than we expect.

It begins not with striving—but with coming close. And trusting that Jesus is still restoring what feels disordered, still leading with peace, and still present in the middle of real life.

If this resonates with you, come join me in our next 4-week study, The Way Forward.

The world would tell us that beauty is about our physical appearance. Many of us will not pass the hard-to attain, ever-changing idea of what is deemed beautiful.

The Bible says that beauty is seen in those who share the Gospel; followers of Christ who proclaim and live in peace. Those who bring good tidings, a genuine smile, and a kind word are pleasing to God.

Sharing your testimony, your salvation story, can seem daunting. Sharing your most prized possession, like sharing family photos, brings joy to the soul and honor to God.

Truly, if you are a Christ follower, your God does reign! He reigns over every area of your life. When He calls us to share the Good News, or proclaim His peace, or offer a kindness in His Name, He will equip us with the words, the God-fidence, and the Holy Spirit to make a difference in the life of another.

To whom will you be beautiful? 

“Holy Lord, my most precious gift is the blessing of Jesus. He is my life, and all else is added. Father, take away any fear that I may have to share what You have done in my life. Help me be peaceful in a chaotic world. Lord, help me be beautiful to another person, bringing the Good News of Jesus. In His Glorious Name I pray, Amen.” 

We can manage symptoms for years.
Stay busy. Stay strong. Stay spiritual.
But unresolved wounds do not disappear simply because time passes. What remains untreated quietly shapes how we love, trust, lead, and relate.

Scripture shows us that God is not intimidated by what lives in our hearts. He does not rush to cover it—He comes to heal it. And healing begins when we allow Him to name what we could not fix ourselves.

The following is a portion of a prayer written by our Prayer Team Lead, Christi Underwood. Using Philippians 1:6 as a foundation to stand on, “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion.”

Father God, You have diagnosed the problem–our hearts. You have pinpointed the infection–unforgiveness. Your antidote–forgive! Unforgiveness cannot be buried, justified, ignored, denied, or cured by only treating the symptoms. Though the wound is scabbed over, its poison leaks and spreads till it affects all of us, our lives, and infects those around us. Thank you for the revelation! Thank you for the truth! Thank you for the healing!

If this prayer stirred something in you, don’t rush past it.
God does not expose wounds to overwhelm us—He reveals them to free us.

Forgiveness is not forgetting.
It is not minimizing what hurt you.
It is choosing to trust God with what still aches while allowing Him to continue the work He has already begun.

The good news is this: you are not behind, and you are not alone. The same God who revealed the wound is committed to the healing. And He is faithful to finish what He started—one surrendered step at a time. Thank you, Father.

Believe it or not, I have experienced each of these scenarios. Have I truly fulfilled the Great Commission? No. Matthew 28:19-20 instructs us to not just preach, but to make disciples; to not just explain what salvation is, but to baptize people into Christ; to not just talk about Jesus, but to teach them to obey everything He has commanded them. Making a disciple involves teaching and relationship. 

I read a quote that inspires me. It states, “Preach the Gospel at all times and if necessary, use words.” That doesn’t negate using words. But if my life doesn’t reflect what I say, my example will speak louder than my words. Am I preaching with words only? Or am I also preaching with serving? Jesus tells us in Galatians 5:13 to serve one another humbly in love. That involves actions, not just talk.

I am not in any way diminishing the importance of conversations and sharing our testimonies. They make great conversation openers. But let that be a beginning, not an event. My hope is to challenge us by asking ourselves, are we just sharing the Gospel or are we showing the Gospel?